Christ in the Special Years of Rest and Release Leviticus 25
Rescue from Drudgery I m tired of working long hours to get ahead. Where will I be at the end anyway? The Bible shows where our work should be heading.
Outline of Leviticus I. The sacrifices (1 7) II. Consecrating the priests (8 10) III. Uncleanness and its remedy (11 16) IV. Maintaining holiness (17 27)
Areas for Maintaining Holiness Abstain from blood, 17 Sexual abominations of the nations, 18 Holiness in life, 19 Punishments for abominations, 20 Priests life, 21 22 The great feasts, 23 Holy supplies and holy name, 24 The sabbath and jubilee years, 25 Blessings and curses, 26 Exchanging vowed items, 27
God s Pattern for Years Leviticus 25: The year of rest (sabbath) 25:1 7 The year of jubilee 25:8 55 Counting the years 25:8-12 Principle: return property 25:13 Sell based on jubilee 25:14-24 Right of redeeming land 25:25-34 Kindness to the poor 25:35-38 No enslavement of Israel 25:39-55
A. Why a Sabbath Year? I thought a sabbath was always the seventh day.
What Is Sabbath? Hebrew has a verb shabat meaning cease, especially used to describe resting from labor: Hebrew: shabat And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done (Gen. 2:3). A pattern!
Sabbath Is Rest from Labor Shabat = to rest Sabbath = time of rest So that s the meaning!
Implications of Sabbath Sabbath is a time of resting from labor. It imitates God s rest. It occurs in a pattern of 1 in 7. The sabbath is holy, dedicated to God s glory. The sabbath times can occur in a number of forms.
Forms of Sabbath Weekly sabbath (Exod. 20:8 11) The day of atonement (Lev. 16:31) The seventh month as month celebrating rest (Lev. 23:23) The sabbath year: a year of resting from labor
B. Meaning of Sabbath Years
Regulations for Sabbath Year Land rests (Lev. 25:4-5) Debts canceled (Deut. 15:1-11) Farmers relief from toil Relief from debt Relief from burdensome labor Relief from poverty: unsuccessful labor
Promises for Sabbath Years Relief from toil Relief from poverty Promise of abundant crop (Lev. 25:21) Promise of riches (Deut. 15:4-6) God s blessings for obedience Not by chance.
Blessings Overcome Curses Promise of abundant crop (Lev. 25:21) Promise of riches (Deut. 15:4-6) Overcomes Curse on ground Gen. 3:17 Burden on work Gen. 3:17,19
Sabbath Years Look Forward 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7th year is a climax every year s blessing So how does it fit us? special blessing of 7th year maximal blessing in the future
C. Meaning of Jubilee
When Is the Jubilee? Count 7 X 7 or 49 years (25:8) the fiftieth year is for liberty (25:10) 50th year includes rest for land (25:11) But the 49th year would be a sabbath year. So do we have two sabbaths in a row?
How Do Israelites Count? On the third day he will be raised to life! (Matt. 20:19) Friday crucifixion Saturday grave Sunday resurrection 1 2 3 Begin your count on the patterned day (not on the next day after it).
50th Is Sabbath of Sabbaths +1 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 jubilee first of 7 sabbath years Next jubilee is 50th year, counting from jubilee = 1
Regulations for Jubilee (Lev. 25) Land rests ( 25:11) Land returns (25:14-24) Release slaves (25:39-43) Relief from toil Restoration of power Freedom
Meaning of Jubilee The Year of Jubilee is a giant sized sabbath year. It includes rest from toil major relief from debt, loss major relief from slavery and bondage It imitates the Exodus, Lev. 25:42 It is based on God s blessing, Lev. 25:43 Lev. 25:55
God s Reasons Even if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 25:54 55).
God s Final Plans Deliverance from Egypt Sabbath rest Final Deliverance from sin and death in Christ (1 Cor. 15) Final Rest in God s completed work in Christ (Heb. 4)
Times of Rest (Lev. 25) 1 2 3 4 5 7 6 7th day is climax 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7th month is climax 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7th year is climax 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 50th year is climax new 10 jubilees lead to consummation (Dan. 9)
Final Jubilee in Daniel 9:24-27 Seventy sevens are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy (Daniel 9:24). 10 jubilees lead to consummation